Crisis Management

So I read with interest how Larry King would guest star on the new, much hyped NBC show ”1600 Penn.” Larry King, though he interviewed news makers, was not a hard core journalist. He is a talk show host. But Savannah Guthrie of “Today” and NBC’s Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd are very real and very working. Both are influential journalists who also have been tapped for guest-starring roles on “1600 Penn.” Am I the only one bothered by this… that real journalists covering some of the biggest issues facing the world today are appearing in a fictional comedy about the White House and the President of the United States (POTUS)? I have nothing against the show. Really not. In fact I am rooting for it....

‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash jumped into the political waters and sent a Tweet about her personal decision to vote for Mitt Romney, the Repubican candidate. The Stacey Dash Tweet was well under 140 characters, but boy did ‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash cause an uproar. ‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash appeared on CNN’s ‘Piers Morgan’ and said she was “shocked and saddened” by the response from her Tweet. Here’s what happened. On Sunday ‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash Tweeted: “Vote for Romney. The only choice for your future.” Not only did the Tweet generate lots of feedback from the public, she also got a not-so-nice response from fellow actor Samuel L. Jackson:...

Problems for Dr. Drew following revelation he was on the Glaxo payroll, recommended the company’s drug, but never disclosed that fact to the public. Dr. Drew Pinsky, the popular host on HLN and national radio host known to millions as “Dr. Drew,” trumpeted the use of the antidepressant Wellbutrin back in 1999 on his radio show–but he failed to mention that he was on the payroll of the makers of that drug, GlaxoSmithKline. He told listeners that Wellbutrin ”may enhance or at least not suppress sexual arousal” as much as other antidepressants do which is why he prescribes it. That’s quite a ringing endorsement. Turns out Glaxo paid Dr. Drew, but he did not mention that little, and-very-pertinent-fact. The...

First it was a naked rubdown that allegedly resulted in John Travolta’s hands on the private parts of a male massage therapist. John Travolta had a lawyer respond with a vehement denial and a vow to bury the accuser legally. Along came more claims from other male message therapists. Then more threats from Travolta’s legal team. Now a John Travolta cross-dressing photo has resurfaced and so has a strange claim from the late Jeff Conaway’s ex girlfriend (Conaway, an actor, starred with Travolta in “Grease”) who says Travolta attacked him sexually while he was sleeping. Even Hollywood would be hard-pressed to make this up. There is clearly a lot of smoke. But that doesn’t mean ANY of the accusations are true. So where does this...

I’ll give Rush Limbaugh credit for commanding attention. He certainly knows how to dish it. And his missteps make news too. Especially one this big. Last week, Rush Limbaugh attacked law student Sandra Fluke calling her a “slut” and “prostitute” after she advocated that insurance companies cover birth control. Some advertisers have suspended ads from his popular show. And news outlets around the country can’t stop talking about it: The talk is so acute, on RushLimbaugh.com, Rush Limbaugh posted a message: “Everything is fine on the business side. Everything’s cool. There is not a thing to worry about. What you’re seeing on television about this program and sponsors and advertisers is just...

So I’ve heard about the ratings bonanza for Lindsay Lohan hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’--scoring the second highest ratings for ‘SNL’ this season. I also read the reviews and the criticism of the “minor” part she played on the show and commentators who questioned whether she was ready for prime time. (It’s an expression as I know ‘SNL’ is not really in prime time.) Anyway… Here’s my take on Lindsay Lohan and her hosting of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ She showed up, she brought in the numbers and people are talking about it. She had fun with the experience beginning with the promotion… In entertainment, that’s a home run! Indeed Lindsay Lohan did not appear in the opening...